Here Is The Video of the Flight That FAA Finds Reckless
We have previously reported that FAA expects to release clear regulations on small UAVs by the end of the year. Well, what you will read below is not the kind of news we’ve all expected or at least hoped for. Many of our readers expressed concerns that some dumb ruling might surface that makes it impossible to fly legally in the US and their expectations might not have been unfounded.
An appeals board has ruled that the Federal Aviation Administration has wide latitude to make all drone flights illegal in the United States. In simplified terms, it means that any flight below 500 feet is “reckless” while the FAA says that any flight over 400 feet is potentially dangerous and in fact illegal, that is if we accept FAAs jurisdiction over the matter. Try reconciling that! Does this by definition mean that our hobby is doomed?
The Bad News
An appeals board has ruled that the Federal Aviation Administration has wide latitude to make all drone flights illegal in the United States. In simplified terms, it means that any flight below 500 feet is “reckless” while the FAA says that any flight over 400 feet is potentially dangerous and in fact illegal, that is if we accept FAAs jurisdiction over the matter.
The decision, by the National Transportation Safety Board, determined that the FAA’s existing “aircraft” regulations can apply to model aircraft, drones, and remote controlled aircraft, which is perhaps the most restrictive possible outcome for drone pilots in a legal saga that has dragged on for more than a year.
Raphael “Trappy” Pirker
The case, concerns Raphael “Trappy” Pirker, a Swiss pilot who was fined $10,000 by the FAA for a “reckless flight” at the University of Virginia in 2011. There was nothing overly interesting about Pirker’s flight, other than the fact that he was paid for his work—something that the FAA has been trying to say is illegal for quite some time now. Pirker originally won his court case, in which a federal judge ruled that model aircraft aren’t technically “aircraft” subject to the FAA’s existing regulations.
Pirker’s Original Flight.
In case you have missed it, here is the original claim against Trappy by the FAA.
The appeals board disagreed, saying that the federal “definitions on their face do not exclude even a ‘model aircraft’ from the meaning of ‘aircraft.'”
“Furthermore, the definitions draw no distinction between whether a device is manned or unmanned,” the board wrote. ” An aircraft is ‘any’ ‘device’ that is ‘used for flight.’ We acknowledge the definitions are as broad as they are clear, but they are clear nonetheless.”
The decision is close to what the FAA originally pushed for, which is so broad that perhaps frisbees and baseballs could be considered “aircraft.”
And that’s the devastating part of this decision for drone enthusiasts: The FAA’s existing aircraft regulations cannot be reconciled with its guidelines for model aircraft flights. The statute that the FAA used to fine Pirker suggests that any flight by an “aircraft” below 500 feet can be considered reckless. The FAA’s model aircraft guidelines, meanwhile, suggest that any flight over 400 feet by a drone is unsafe and potentially illegal.
” With this decision, the NTSB has declared model aircraft, paper airplanes and even children’s toys to be ‘aircraft,’ subject to the same regulations as 747s, which ignores entirely the fact that for decades none has ever been treated as such,” Peter Sachs, a Connecticut-based lawyer and founder of the Drone Pilots Association told me. “I don’t think that’s what Congress ever intended or that common sense and logic support today’s NTSB’s decision.”
Brendan Schulman, Pirker’s lawyer, told me that the court failed to address “whether the safe operation of drones for business purposes is prohibited by any law” and said that he is “reviewing options for our next steps in the Pirker case.”
In this particular instance, the case was sent back down to a lower court for more evidence gathering and a discussion of whether Pirker’s flight was actually “reckless.” But, considering the FAA’s definition that any flight under 500 feet by an aircraft is reckless, that seems like a mere formality.
“While we disagree with the decision, today’s NTSB ruling in the Pirker case is narrowly limited to whether unmanned aircraft systems are subject to an aviation safety regulation concerning reckless operation,” Schulman said, which is “an issue that the NTSB has said requires further factual investigation before a penalty is imposed.”
So, for the time being, any drone flight by anyone in the country can be considered “reckless” by the FAA under the NTSB’s latest ruling, meaning that the FAA can fine you $10,000 for flying one anywhere, for any purpose. And the fact that “any device that is used for flight” can be considered an aircraft seems to suggest that even tiny toy aircraft are subject to the FAA’s whim.
Whether that’s likely is another question altogether, but it’s sure to have a chilling effect on the industry until the FAA releases clear drone regulations—something that it says it will do before the end of the year. It has missed multiple deadlines for that, so I wouldn’t hold your breath. The state of drone regulations were already a mess—things just got a bit messier.
Source: Motherboard and sUASNews
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
Just another three letter US Government agency out of control… Trying to control every aspect of American’s life… Common sense is a flower that does not grow in their garden… So Fly On! 🙂
Hmm, I’d agree it was reckless!
The problem with Trappys flight over the university was the hazzard to persons and property he created. However this kind of operation is much safer and cost effective then a full scale helicopter shooting the video… I do not see a problem with this kind of paid operation in the future BUT, IT MUST BE A REGISTERED, LICENSED & INSURED OPERATION!
This “Trappy” guy used very poor judgement and it will definitely hurt other flight enthusiasts. People like this will be solely responsible of the detriment to this hobby. It is only a matter of time before someone like this a–hole crashes their drone into some kid on a playground and severely injures them (or worse – takes their life). It is very sad that the lack of common sense will ruin such a beloved hobby.